D5100 Raw processing

There are many Linux options, but based on the same libraries, and while they are doing a great job in getting access to the files, they do not pick up the camera settings well at all, so that leads to more work.

For the record I also downloaded the latest and greatest PS version, and it would not load the files saying they were unsupported.

ViewNx2 can batch convert the files to 16bit TIFF files with lzw compression...but thast program is so pathetic it's unreal. I know it's only the lite version but the full Capture NX is really just a pathetic program with more bells and whistles. Just to put it into perspective, I am using a dual core 64 bit processor with 4GB and it needs more than an hour to convert a batch of 50 files.

Is there any reason why cameras can't just save images in a standard open format that uses lossless compression and supports 16 bit color...such as the TIFF output that ViewNX can produce, or the PNG format that is directly compatible with ordinary software such as browsers? Would that just be too easy? Years ago before RAW became all the rage, many cameras could save images directly in TIFF, including my pocket compact camera.

All I can say is in the meantime is that if you are considering a D5100 purchae, download a RAW image and try building a workflow around it BEFORE you buy. If I had know it was going to cause me so much grief I would have at least delayed the purchase until Nikon got their act together.

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